Dark Moon Rising
by saichick-Anna-Erishkigal
Summary: Pepper Stark-Potts leads Iron Man and the Avengers for a little adventure in Egypt
1. Chapter 1

_Timeline: Post Iron Man 2_

_Disclaimers: Iron Man and its characters are the property of Marvel. Everything else belongs to me, Copyright © 2012 Anna Erishkigal. I write fanfiction for my own writing pleasure and enjoyment and receive no money for doing so. Bon appétit!_

Chapter 1

"And as you can see from the financial projections outlined in the five-year plan prepared by our budget department," the Chief Financial Officer droned on and on.

Pepper Stark-Potts, CEO of Stark Industries, pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. For more than a decade, she had begged, pleaded, and cajoled her former boss, now husband Tony Stark, into attending these Board of Director meetings. She had chastised him for not being more responsible about running his own company. Now that she was walking in his shoes, she sympathized with the urge to do something more interesting. Not enough to blow off today's meeting, but she now felt Tony's pain.

Pepper enjoyed the power and prestige her elevation to CEO had brought. It was a job she had been, in many respects, doing for many years. Especially after Tony had gone missing in Afghanistan and left her in charge of exercising his votes, not Obadiah Stane. But some days, like today, she s found herself wishing some despot on the other side of the world would blow something up so she would have a legitimate excuse to escape. Pepper would never blow off a budget meeting on a whim, but helping the Avengers clean up a mess would be preferable to popping Advil and chugging coffee to stay awake.

Perhaps she could bribe Senator Stern to pass legislation making it illegal to make budget meetings boring? What types of bribes would entice the pompous senator and nemesis of her husband to pass the desired legislation? Money … illegal. Pepper wouldn't break the law unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps she could invite him for lunch and take him for a joyride in one of Tony's latest prototypes? No. That wouldn't work. Pepper had made her peace with the senator, but Tony would never allow the pompous ass anywhere near the mansion. Pepper absent-mindedly twirled her long, red hair as she toyed with the ethical implications of bribing a United States Senator.

How about a flight on one of Tony's suborbital space craft he was tinkering with? That might work. It was largely being funded by NASA, so the senator was aware of the project. Heck! A senatorial investigation into how the government's money was being spent would even be ethical! A joyride at the roof of the world in exchange for legislation allowing her to imprison her CFO for making this darned meeting tedious would be a reasonable exchange. A gentle smile spread across her face as she pictured her CFO behind bars begging to be given another chance to present a Stark Industries five-year business plan that wasn't so darned … boring!

"Mrs. Stark?" Miss Mitchells, her efficient secretary, asked. "Nick Fury is on line six. He says it's urgent."

"Thank God," Pepper muttered under her breath, excusing herself from the meeting. As soon as she was out the door, she gave thanks to the creator for releasing her from budget meeting purgatory. Clicking back to her office with her signature four-inch heels, she sank back into her luxurious leather chair. "MAEVE … please cue up Nick Fury on the video monitor."

"Yes, Mrs. Stark," MAEVE said in her pleasant, slightly mechanical voice. MAEVE was the Stark Industries version of JARVIS, an artificial intelligence which had achieved sentience during an earlier mission. Pepper relied on MAEVE to monitor everything that went on at all Stark Industries locations worldwide the way Tony relied on JARVIS to monitor everything that went on in the Malibu mansion and whatever cutting edge project JARVIS was helping him work the bugs out of.

"Mr. Fury," Pepper asked as soon as Nick Fury's face cued up on the monitor. "What can I do for you today?"

"I take it you've heard about the civil unrest going on in Egypt?" Fury asked. His stern expression was given any ominous air by the black eye patch he wore to cover one eye.

"Who hasn't?" Pepper said. "President Mubarak has engineered a thirty-year stay in power by controlling who can run against him. The disparity in wealth between rich and poor has become obscene. The whole country is a powder keg waiting to explode."

"At this point," Fury said. "Mubarak's ouster is a given. It's just a question of whether it happens via peaceful means during elections, or violence. How smoothly he steps down will determine who takes control once he's out."

"What do you want me to do?" Pepper asked.

"The United States is in a devil's bind," Fury said. "On the one hand, Mubarak has recognized the right of Israel to exist and has provided stability in that region for thirty years. On the other, the way he has kept power and funneled resources to the elite has made a mockery of his claims that Egypt is a democracy. A lot of the funding for terrorism, as well as terrorists, originates in Egypt."

"So what you're saying," Pepper paraphrased, "is that Mubarak both fights terrorism, while fostering the situations which cause it to arise in the first place."

"Exactly," Fury said.

"What does this have to do with Stark Industries?" Pepper asked.

"As one of the most powerful munitions brokers in the world," Fury said, "who the CEO of Stark Industries even speaks to can send a powerful message. I want you to have a conversation with somebody."

"Who?" Pepper asked.

"The Muslim Brotherhood wants to institute Islamic law," Fury said. "They have sworn off violence and are trusted by poor and middle class citizens as a legitimate social agency. But the secularists distrust them. The Brotherhood also supports a well-known enmity against Israel."

"Can you blame them?" Pepper asked. "I'm no fan of Palestine, but any country that can't stop its own radicals from building settlements on other people's land is too incompetent to govern. We've refused to sell any more products to the Israeli government until they get their own house in order. The last thing Stark Industries wants is Israel using our equipment to bomb Palestinian villages … even if some of the people who live in the village _are_ sympathetic to Hamas."

"Much of Mubarak's financial support comes from business interests allied with Israel," Fury said. "He was ready to step down earlier this week, and then all of a sudden he backpedaled. We have intelligence indicating his political backers are pressuring him to say he will step down in several months, and then put another puppet in place to replace him who will change nothing."

"And you'd like me to go have a very public meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood," Pepper said, "where nothing really gets discussed behind closed doors, so Mubarak's supporters realize there are worse things in the world than a few legitimate democratic reforms."

"Exactly," Fury said.

"Will the Avengers be involved in this mission?" Pepper asked.

"Not directly," Fury said. "But I'll be sending Black Widow and Captain America in under cover as your assistants to provide logistical support in case things get ugly. As far as the US Government is concerned, Stark Industries will simply be speaking to a potential client about the future sales of equipment and goods."

"You know Tony's not going to like my going into a hot spot without Iron Man at my side," Pepper said.

"Iron Man is too heavy-handed at this point in the game," Fury said. "We want to talk, not blow them up. You, on the other hand, have the carrot of your position as CEO of Stark Industries and the Stark Charitable Trust. If Mubarak digs in his heels and is ousted via civil unrest, it behooves the US government to have formed relations with his most likely successor. There are worst factions in Egypt than the Muslim Brotherhood."

"Hello, pyramids," Pepper said. "I'll leave it to _you _to tell Tony."

"Your flight is scheduled to leave at sixteen hundred hours," Fury said. "Natalie and Steve will meet you at the airstrip. I took the liberty of giving the FAA the status information of the Stark Industries private jet."

"Who is going to _pay _for the use of the Stark Industries jet?" Pepper asked, mindful of keeping the Corporate expense account separate from the adventures of both Iron Man, the Avengers, and little 'favors' such as this on behalf of the US Government. "And also my expenses while there? Let's be frank. The Muslim Brotherhood can't _afford _to buy anything from Stark Industries."

"I'll arrange payment through some back door account," Fury said. He had learned the hard way not to mess with Pepper and how she ran the company. Or meted out access to the genius of Tony Stark. It was for good reason Pepper had been nicknamed 'red dragon' by anyone who had ever tangled with her over the running of Stark Industries. "Just have Miss Mitchell forward me all invoices."

"I'll make contact from Egypt," Pepper said, giving him an innocent smile and ending the conversation.

"MAEVE," Pepper asked. "Did you get all that?"

"Yes, Mrs. Stark," MAEVE said. "I have already taken the liberty of monitoring all Egyptian television, radio, newspaper and internet communications. There are credible reports that Mubarak has planted plains clothing policemen amongst the pro-government protestors to incite violence against the peaceful anti-government protestors. Would you like for me to hack into all Egyptian government computer systems and monitor for irregularities?"

"Please do, MAEVE," Pepper said. "And call Jack Martin. Tell him to prep the suitcase armor … just in case. I want my _own _security person along on this trip, not just Avenger security." Jack Martin, a former Special Forces soldier, was her personal body guard and Stark Charitable Trust security expert.

"Right away, Mrs. Stark," MAEVE said. "Will you be returning to your budget meeting? You have time."

Pepper groaned. Her excuse for being absent was thin. She really needed to attend to the five-year budget plan.

"Tell Miss Mitchell to appease Tony when he calls here freaking out about my impending trip to Egypt until I get out of that meeting," Pepper said. "Tell him I'd like him to arrange a little private tour of the Great Pyramid at Giza with him as soon as I'm done meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood. _That _should keep him occupied long enough for me to finish up."

"Yes, Mrs. Stark," MAEVE said.

Leaving the comfort of her leather CEO chair, Pepper Stark-Potts click-clacked back into the budget meeting.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Move it down just a little further," Tony Stark, former playboy billionaire, genius extraordinaire, and now adoring husband of 'The Boss' said to his mechanical assistant, 'Butterfingers.' "There. Hold it there."

With the precision of a surgeon, Tony soldered the delicate wiring on his latest project, a next-generation UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle). Only, in this case, it wouldn't technically be 'unmanned.' With the Stark Industries breakthrough of creating sentient artificial life forms, Tony was still figuring out how intelligent he should make the machines he made available to the public versus the ones he used in his daily life for his own purposes. He was elbow-deep in creation at the moment, doing exactly what he loved doing _second-best_ in the world. His first favorite thing was, of course, making love to his wife, Pepper Stark-Potts.

"Mr. Stark," JARVIS said. "Mrs. Stark is returning your call."

JARVIS was the artificial life form who ran Tony's household and workshop. JARVIS had received an upgrade to full-sentient artificial life form at some point in the past. It hadn't changed JARVIS's personality all that much, but it _did _make him more interesting for Tony to bounce engineering ideas off of and argue with.

"Finally," he muttered, finishing the last touch on the particular wire he was soldering, and then grabbing a rag to wipe a streak of grease off his hands from the hydraulics. "Damned Fury! What the hell is he thinking? Sending her off to a hot spot like Egypt!"

"Mrs. Stark is very good at what she does," JARVIS reassured him. "I believe Mr. Fury wishes to use Stark Industries as a counter-weight to the other multi-national corporations putting pressure on the current administration to stay in power."

"I'll bet ten-to-one Hammer Industries is one of the corporations that would love to see the whole situation go to hell in a handbasket," Tony said. "The more strife Hammer can create between Israel and her neighbors, the more weapons he sells. If Egypt blows up, it'll be Justin Hammers wet dream." He finished wiping off the grease and stepped in front of the two-way video monitor to take Pepper's call.

"Hi, honey," Pepper said. "I'm going to Egypt." She flashed him that smile she knew melted his heart. The one where her freckles highlighted her cerulean blue eyes.

"I heard," Tony grumbled, tossing the rag onto the workbench. "I'm coming with you." Every aspect of his demeanor screamed 'little boy pouting,' but the furrow of his brow indicated his concern ran much deeper than mere dislike of being left behind.

"Not yet," Pepper said, the stubborn set of her jaw communicating she meant business. "We're already behind schedule on that UAV you're working on. It was suppposed to go into production two days ago. We've got an entire factory full of workers sweeping floors and doing busy work waiting for you to get it to them."

"What are you going to do next?" Tony grumbled. "Lock me in the basement, feed me nothing but bread and water, and not let me out until I perform some feat of engineering genius?"

"I _already_ do that!" Pepper said, laughing. "Although I _do_ make sure JARVIS orders in something more nutritious than Cocoa Puffs and those terrible protein shakes you'd otherwise live off of." Her laughter was a light, musical sound.

"Fury briefed me on the security details," Tony said. "Tell me, please, that you're taking Martin and the armor. Just in case…"

"I'm a big girl," Pepper said. "The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is not a terrorist organization. They've got a vested interest in keeping me safe and I'll have Natalie and Steve with me. It's unfortunate the factor which unites them is Islamic law or our government might actually be open to officially dealing with them."

Pepper twirled her hair, deep in thought. Ever since the mission where she'd gone in with her relief organization to mop up after the Avengers in Palestine, she'd gotten an entirely different view of the never ending Palestinian-Israeli conflict which fueled outrage against the United States. The same outrage threatening to destabilize the Egyptian government if the Brotherhood rose to power. The Brotherhood promised to put the issue of whether or not to uphold the Egyptian-Israeli treaty which recognized Israel as a legitimate government on the national ballot if they rose to power. Over 85% of the population of Egypt would vote to _rescind _that treaty.

Pepper had gone to Palestine after the Avengers had taken out a terrorist cell. The Israeli's had a policy of destroying any village which harbored terrorists. They hadn't just blown up the house where the terrorist cell had been operating out of, but the entire village. Pepper had gone to Palestinian a staunch supporter of Israel and come out an advocate of dope-slapping the Israeli government and telling them to knock it off.

"I'll be there as soon as I'm done," Tony said, waving towards a workbench where the brains of what would someday be a highly self-intelligent but not quite sentient UAV were splayed across a table. "MAEVE said you'd like a private tour of the Great Pyramid?"

"I've heard that with enough money, they'll let you climb the great pyramid before dawn and watch the sun rise," Pepper said, leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially to him. "It's always been a fantasy of mine."

"Oh," Tony said, waggling his eyebrows. "And what reward will my fair maiden bestow upon the knight in shining red armor who helps make this little fantasy of hers come true?"

"I will leave the reward to my knight in shining red armors' imagination," Pepper said huskily. "And don't take too long on that UAV. I don't want to be waiting at the top of the pyramid by myself waiting for my knight to come rescue me."

"I shall stand at the bottom calling out, 'Oh Pepper, Oh Pepper, Let down thou red hair," Tony said, dramatically putting his hand over his heart and then reaching up into the air as though beseeching a princess in a tower to give him a rope to climb up to her. Role-playing turned Pepper on.

Pepper giggled. "I don't think my hair is long enough to use as a rope to scale the Great Pyramid."

"Then I will just have to get there on time," Tony said. "You'll have MAEVE keep me up to date on your movements?"

"You tagged me, remember?" Pepper reminded him. "You can have either JARVIS or MAEVE track me anywhere in the world." She referred to the subcutaneous tracking system Tony had embedded under her skin after she had been kidnapped during an earlier mission. All of the Avengers had them now, including Tony.

"You got your little backup system?" Tony asked.

Pepper held up her wristwatch and smiled. It was gold and studded with diamonds, but a bit larger than a fashionable woman such as Pepper Potts might otherwise wear on her delicate wrist. The aforementioned wristwatch chirped a greeting.

"I'm ready for action, Mr. Stark," WatchMAEVE chirped.

WatchMAEVE had started out as a sub-program of the larger MAEVE consciousness programmed into a watch for convenience, but become separated and forced to think for itself. The little AI had achieved a crude form of sentience, not quite MAEVE or JARVIS, but more than any other AI on the planet. Tony had segregated out the subroutines which made her sentient and given the little watch her own server, but she was still tied to MAEVE and JARVIS. WatchMAEVE was like having a curious five-year-old attached to your wrist, but she could uplink anywhere in the world to the larger Stark Industries satellite network and call for help.

"Be careful Pepper, okay?" Tony said. "I don't like you going without me."

"I'm taking security very seriously," Pepper said, nibbling thoughtfully on her lower lip. "But I have a chance to remind Mubarak there are other interests besides his corporate sponsors or tweaking the nose of the US Government. If we don't coax the two sides into reaching middle ground, it's going to go to one extreme or the other."

"Bloody crackdown," Tony said, reading her train of thought, "or fanatical fundamentalist government that makes Al Quaida look reasonable. I understand."

"I'll be careful," Pepper promised.

"I'll see you there," Tony said. Pepper cut off the transmission.

"MAEVE has suggestions for entertaining Mrs. Stark once you meet her there," JARVIS said. "Would you like me to show MAEVE's ideas to you?"

"Not just yet," Tony said, turning back to the confounded UAV which had been giving him headaches. "The sooner I finish this thing, the sooner I can join her. Ask MAEVE to set up the tour of the great pyramid and a private river cruise on the Nile. And accommodations. And several romantic meals. And anything else you two can cook up that might please her. Just run it by me for final conformation when you're done."

"Yes, Mr. Stark," JARVIS said. "It would be my pleasure."

JARVIS had been imbued with just enough of his creators living consciousness that he could switch into a subroutine that 'thought like Tony.' He switched into that modality now, scheming with MAEVE, who had been imbued with a substantial dose of Pepper's living consciousness, that they could cook up something to please their organic masters.

"Dummy, Butterfingers," Tony snapped. "What are you two doing standing around doing nothing? Back to work! I've got a date with a pyramid."

He turned back to soldering the brains of the UAV so he could get the hell out of here.

X

_Note: readers ask why I have never completed this story. I began this at the very beginning of the Arab Spring, when all those brave young people began rising up and telling their dictators they wanted change. The very idea of the Muslim Brotherhood, who in Egypt –is- a fundamentalist Muslim organization but is –not- a terrorist one, turning to Pepper Potts, a woman and CEO of the weapons manufacturing company who sold their opponents many of their weapons, to act as a symbol to get the old guard dictators to back down, tickled my fancy. It was my intent to introduce the little-known Marvel character Khonshu, a Thoth-like Egyptian god, and explore what it meant to be Egyptian (a proud culture that spans more than 5,000 years)._

_It was meant to be a thoughtful, sensitive exploration of a culture we do not understand…_

_Then Murbarrak and his cronies slaughtered a few thousand of his own countrymen in real life, peaceful protesters, and the Muslim Brotherhood reacted by moving to the political right, from merely conservative-but-different towards the more radical, and I felt I could no longer write this story. To do so would be stepping into a snakepit of controversy far greater than the one I intended to dip my toes into._

_I should probably just delete the story, but perhaps someday I will feel compelled to finish the story of a proud people taking back control of their own lives in their own, unique version of democracy? _


End file.
